Introduction to Poetry

“In a poem the words should be as

pleasing to the ear as the meaning is to
the mind.” -- Marianne Moore
 Did you know???
The Human Brain is:
• Divided into 2 parts
• Each half has its own function

Left Brain: Right Brain:

Logic Creativity
Reality Emotions
Literal Figurative
 To clarify . . .
When you Your right brain
look at big tells you, “Hey!
puffy That one looks like
clouds . . . a bunny.”
While your left brain tells you . . .

It’s a
cloud,
Stupid!
So, which half do you use when studying poetry?
Here are a few hints:
Poetry requires creativity
Poetry requires emotion
Poetry requires artistic
quality
Poetry requires logic
 Poet VS. Speaker
Poet Speaker
Writerof Narrator
the poem of the
poem
Usually not the same person
 Traditional VS Organic
Follows specific rules No rules
Regular pattern of No regular pattern of
rhyme, rhythm, meter rhythm, meter, &
Forms: may/may not have
Epic, ode, ballad, rhyme
sonnet, haiku, Forms
limerick free verse, concrete
poetry
 Elements of Poetry
Rhythm
Sound
Imagery
Form

Recognizing devices in
a poem keeps the left
brain busy.
 The beat in poetry
o Read out loud to hear it
o “Sing-song” quality (like in nursery
rhymes)
o creates mood
o Can match subject of poem
oMost
7 types
Used Less Common
•Iambic
•Monosyllabic
•Anapestic
•Trochaic •Spondaic
•Dactylic •Accentual
Rhythm
 stressed & unstressed syllables in a line of poetry
one syllable is pronounced stronger &one syllable
is softer
unstressed
Iambic: te TUM
stressed

Anapestic: te te TUM
Trochaic: TUM te
Dactylic: TUM te te
Example Trochee

s
/ U
Iamb
happy, hammer,
U /
nugget, double,
behold, amuse, arise,
injure, roses, beat it,
awake, return, destroy,
dental, dinner, chosen,
inspire
planet, slacker, doctor
Anapest
U U / Dactyl
understand, interrupt, / U U

comprehend, contradict, strawberry, carefully,

"get a life" merrily, mannequin,
tenderly, prominent,
bitterly, notable, horrible
 measured in “FEET”
 length of a line in poetry (measured by how many
feet are in it)
 depends on the rhythm used
 1 foot = 1 set of rhythm (set of stressed & unstressed
syllables)
 Example:
Iambic/Trochaic: 1 foot of poetry has 2 syllables
Anapestic/Dactylic: 1 foot of poetry has 3 syllables
Types of Poetic Measurements…

1: Monometer 5: Pentameter
2: Dimeter 6: Hexameter
3: Trimeter 7: Heptameter
4: Tetrameter 8: Octameter

*there is rarely more than 8 feet*

 She Walks in Beauty
Reading this poem
˘ ΄ ˘ ΄ ˘ ΄ ˘ ΄ I.
She walks in beauty, like the night
out loud makes the
rhythm evident.
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
Which syllables are
And all that’s best of dark and bright
more pronounced?
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Which are naturally
Thus mellowed to that tender light
softer?
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.
II.
One shade the more, one ray the less, Count the syllables in
Had half impaired the nameless grace each line to
Which waves in every raven tress, determine the meter.
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
III.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, Examination of this poem
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, reveals that it would be
The smiles that win, the tints that glow, considered iambic tetrameter.
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
Now try this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bF1QzjmeYpY

1. Count the syllables.

2. Divide by two. (Remember these
groups of two are called feet.)
3. Label the meter.
4. Listen carefully to the rhythm. Is it
a rising rhythm or a falling rhythm?
Sound Devices in Poetry
poems are meant to
be heard

Major Sound Devices

1. Rhyme
2. Repetition
3. Alliteration
4. Onomatopoeia
 My Beard
by Shel Silverstein
My beard grows to my toes,
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
I never wears no clothes,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
I wraps my hair

o repetition of sounds Around my bare,

And down the road I goes.
o words end with the same sound
Example: (Hat, cat, bat, splat, chat)
o don’t have to be spelled same way
Example: (Cloud & allowed)
o most common sound device in poetry
oStrengthens form-identify end of line
oDraws attention to words & connects them in
reader’s mind
How to Rhyme…
Different rhyming patterns:
 AABB – lines 1 & 2 rhyme and lines 3 & 4 rhyme
 ABAB – lines 1 & 3 rhyme and lines 2 & 4 rhyme
 ABBA – lines 1 & 4 rhyme and lines 2 & 3 rhyme
 ABCB – lines 2 & 4 rhyme and lines 1 & 3 do not
rhyme
Oodles of Noodles
First Snow
Snow makes whiteness where it falls. I love noodles. Give me oodles.
The bushes look like popcorn balls. Make a mound up to the sun.
And places where I always play, Noodles are my favorite foodles.
Look like somewhere else today. I eat noodles by the ton.
By Marie Louise Allen By Lucia and James L. Hymes,
Jr.
Rhyme
The Alligator
The alligator chased his tail
Which hit him in the snout;
He nibbled, gobbled, swallowed it,
And turned right inside-out.
by Mary Macdonald

From “Bliss”
Let me fetch sticks,
Let me fetch stones,
Throw me your bones,
Teach me your tricks.
By Eleanor Farjeon
oWords, phrases, or
lines
o Creates a pattern
o Increases rhythm
o Strengthens feelings, ideas,
and mood
 Valued Treasue
Time to spend; by Chris R. Carey Time will eventually

time to mend. show us the truth.

Time to hate; Time is a mystery;

time to wait. time is a measure.

Time is the essence; Time for us is

time is the key. valued treasure.

Time will tell us Time to spend;

what we will be. time to mend.

Time is the enemy; Time to cry . . .

time is the proof. Time to die.

So, which is the repeated key word or phrase?
 Valued Treasue
by Chris R. Carey
Time to spend; Time will eventually
time to mend. show us the truth.
Time to hate; Time is a mystery;
time to wait. time is a measure.
Time is the essence; Time for us is
time is the key. valued treasure.
Time will tell us Time to spend;
what we will be. time to mend.
Time is the enemy; Time to cry . . .
time is the proof. Time to die.
 The repetition of one or more phrases
or lines at the end of a stanza.
• entire stanza is repeated
throughout a poem
• like a chorus of a song
 Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my
secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a
fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally. Remember this
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room Men themselves have wondered
Just as cool as you please, What they see in me.
And to a man, They try so much
The fellows stand or But they can’t touch
Fall down on their knees. My inner mystery.
Then they swarm around me, When I try to show them,
A hive of honey bees. They say they still can’t see.
I say, I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes, It’s in the arch of my back,
And the flash of my teeth, The sun of my smile,
The swing of my waist, ...
And the joy in my feet. The grace of my style.
I’m a woman I’m a woman
Phenomenally. Look familiar? Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, Phenomenal woman,
That’s me. That’s me. That is refrain.
 The repetition of the initial
• also called “tongue-twisters”
letter or sound in two or
• repetition of 1 consonant sound
st
more words in a line.
in words
Ex. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
This Tooth
I jiggled it
jaggled it
jerked it.
I pushed
and pulled
and poked it.
But –
As soon as I stopped,
And left it alone
This tooth came out The snake slithered silently
On its very own! along the sunny sidewalk.
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Let’s see what
this looks like
in a poem we She Walks in Beauty
are familiar I.
She walks in beauty, like the night
with. Alliteration Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

Alliteration
Notice, these examples use the beginning
sounds of words only twice in a line, but by
definition, that’s all you need.
 Words that spell out sounds;
words
o Words that sound like that
whatsound like what
they actually theyfor
stand
mean.
o Creates auditory imagery
oDogs go “ruff,” cats go “purr,” thunder “booms,”
rain “drips,” and clocks go “tick-tock”
More examples: growl, hiss, pop, boom, crack, ptthhhbbb.
Let’s see what this Noise Day
looks like in a by Shel Silverstein
poem we are not Let’s have one day for girls and boyses
so familiar with When you can make the grandest noises.
yet.
Screech, scream, holler, and yell –
Onomatopoeia Buzz a buzzer, clang a bell,
Sneeze – hiccup – whistle – shout,
Laugh until your lungs wear out,
Toot a whistle, kick a can,
Several other words
not highlighted could Bang a spoon against a pan,
also be considered as
onomatopoeia. Can Sing, yodel, bellow, hum,
you find any? Blow a horn, beat a drum,
Rattle a window, slam a door,
Scrape a rake across the floor . . ..
More Sound Devices
Assonance – Consonance –
repetition of repetition of
vowels in words consonants at the
that don’t end end of words
with same Ex. (sharp, trap)
Cacophony – harsh
consonant
mixture of sounds
Ex. (deep, deer)
Ex. (alarm bells, traffic)
 Words/descriptions that create pictures/images in
reader’s mind
 appeals to 5 senses: smell, sight, hearing, taste & touch
 details about smells, sounds, colors, taste, textures
create strong (vivid) images
 figures of speech also create vivid images

Example:
The warm, buttery biscuit
Five Senses melted on my tongue.
Figurative Language
creates images,
“paints pictures,”
in your mind
Similes
Metaphors
Hyperbole
Personification
compares 2 things using “like” or “as”
creates vivid images

Examples:
Joe is as hungry as a bear.
In the morning, Rae is like an angry lion.

Ask:
1.What two things are being compared?
2.How are they similar?

The runner streaked like a cheetah.

Let’s see
what this Flint
An emerald is as green as grass, Simile
looks like in A ruby red as blood; Simile
a poem. A sapphire shines as blue as Simile
heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.

A diamond is a brilliant stone,

To catch the world’s desire;
An opal holds a fiery spark;
But a flint holds fire.
By Christina Rosetti
 compares 2 things without “like” or “as”
the thing being compared “is” the thing it is being
compared to
gives qualities of one thing to something completely
different
an entire poem can be a metaphor for something
little metaphors can be found throughout a poem
Examples:
Lenny is a snake.
Ginny is a mouse when it comes to
standing up for herself.
Ask:
1.What two things are being compared?
The winter wind is a 2.How are they similar?
wolf howling at the door.
The Night is a Big Black Cat

The Night is a big black cat Metaphor

The moon is her topaz eye, Metaphor
The stars are the mice she hunts at night,
In the field of the sultry sky.
By G. Orr Clark
 An exaggeration for emphasis
Examples:
I may sweat to death.
The blood bank needs a river of blood.
 gives human qualities & feelings to inanimate
objects (like animals, ideas, objects)
Example:
I could not find the book; it walked away.
The clock stared at me in the darkness.
From “Mister Sun”
Mister Sun
Wakes up at dawn,
Puts his golden
Slippers on,
The moon smiled down at me.
Climbs the summer
Sky at noon,
Trading places
With the moon.
by J. Patrick Lewis
Word, image, or color representing
something other than what is literally
shown
Examples:
Dark/black images often symbolize death.
Light/white images often symbolize life.
 refers to another piece of literature, history, famous
person, song, movie, character, etc.
 3 most common types refer to:
mythology, Shakespeare’s writings, the Bible
Example: “She hath Dian’s wit” (from Romeo and Juliet).
This is an allusion to Roman mythology & the goddess Diana.
specific,
detailed, descriptive
words/phrases a poet chooses to use
High/formal: technical words/SAT
words Always consider connotation
(the feelings/associations) a word
Low/informal: slang has
Example: Positive , Negative , Neutral
=
1. Rock formation: stone, boulder, outcropping,
pile of rocks, cairn, mound, "anomalous
geological feature“
2. Skinny: fit, slender, boney
many forms of poetry including the:
Couplet
Tercet
Cinquain
Haiku
Lyric
Narrative
Free Verse
 Poem/stanza written
poem/stanza in 3 lines
written in 2 lines Usually rhymes
Usually rhymes Lines 1 & 2 rhyme; or
lines 1 & 3 rhyme; or
all 3 lines rhyme.

The Jellyfish
Winter Moon
Who wants my jellyfish? How thin and sharp is the moon tonight!
I’m not sellyfish! How thin and sharp and ghostly white
By Ogden Nash Is the slim curved crook of the moon tonight!
By Langston Hughes
  poem with 5 lines
Poem/stanza with 4  Don’t rhyme
lines  five lines with 22
most common form of syllables:
stanza in poetry Line 1 – 2 syllables
Usually rhymes Line 2 – 4 syllables
Uses variety of Line 3 – 6 syllables
Line 4 – 8 syllables
rhyming patterns Line 5 – 2 syllables
The Lizard Oh, cat
The lizard is a timid thing are you grinning
That cannot dance or fly or sing; curled in the window seat
He hunts for bugs beneath the floor as sun warms you this December
And longs to be a dinosaur. morning?
By John Gardner By Paul B. Janezco
Japanese poem
3 lines of 5, 7, 5 syllables (17 syllables)
Don’t rhyme
About something in nature/the seasons
Captures moment in time
Little frog among
rain-shaken leaves, are you, too,
splashed with fresh, green paint?
by Gaki
19 line poem 1st& 3rd lines of
2 repeating rhymes opening tercet
2 repeating refrains repeat alternately in
5 tercets last lines of other
ends with quartet stanzas
refrain is the two
concluding lines of
last stanza
“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”
Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
 Short, songlike poems
 express thoughts & feelings
Tell story
 don’t tell a story
 addresses reader directly uses poetic
 Sonnets,
elements
Odes (celebrate/honor),
Elegies (funeral, loss, death)
Includes
Dramatic monologue character, setting,
conflict, plot
Epics, ballads,
idylls
Different types
Shakespearean
Easiest rhyme scheme
3 quatrains alternating rhyme & a couplet:
abab
cdcd
efef
gg
Sonnet 18 - Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; Where is the
turn in
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
rhyme?
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
"The Broken-Legg'd Man" by John Mackey Shaw
I saw the other day when I went shopping in the store
A man I hadn't ever, ever seen in there before,
A man whose leg was broken and who leaned upon a crutch-
I asked him very kindly if it hurt him very much.
"Not at all!" said the broken-legg'd man.
I ran around behind him for I thought that I would see
The broken leg all bandaged up and bent back at the knee;
But I didn't see the leg at all, there wasn't any there,
So I asked him very kindly if he had it hid somewhere.
"Not at all!" said the broken-legg'd man.
"Then where," I asked him, "is it? Did a tiger bite it off?
Or did you get your foot wet when you had a nasty cough?
Did someone jump down on your leg when it was very new?
Or did you simply cut it off because you wanted to?"
"Not at all!" said the broken-legg'd man.
"What was it then?" I asked him, and this is what he said:
"I crossed a busy crossing when the traffic light was red;
A big black car came whizzing by and knocked me off my feet."
"Of course you looked both ways," I said, "before you crossed the street."
"Not at all!" said the broken-legg'd man.
"They rushed me to the hospital right quickly, "he went on,
"And when I woke in nice white sheets I saw my leg was gone;
That's why you see me walking now on nothing but a crutch."
"I'm glad," said I, "you told me, and I thank you very much!"
"Not at all!" said the broken-legg'd man.
 No rules
Almost anything goes.
Uses devices
Doesn’t follow traditional conventions:
punctuation, capitalization, rhyme scheme, rhythm and meter
Fog
The fog comes
No Rhyme
on little cat feet. No Rhythm
It sits looking No Meter

over harbor and city This is

on silent haunches free verse.

and then, moves on.

 Poetry Outloud National Champion 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJeGjAzvs8
 An Evening of Poetry, Music and the Written
Word at the White House, President and First
Lady Obama http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=cUfekqAJHeI
 James Earl Jones reciting from Othello by
Shakespeare http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=DJybA1emr_g&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=1EC
EA36D759093A1
 Billy Collins, “The Dead” with animation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuTNdHadwbk

Poetry should be read aloud!